PARK CITY, Kan. — The final night of the of the Heartland Hustle at 81 Speedway was all Johnny Scott, as the Las Cruces, N.M., native led the entire 35 laps to score the win in the weekend finale for the Lucas Oil MLRA late models.
Ryan Gustin led the field to the green from the pole position by virtue of his heat race win, but it was Scott using the top side momentum off the exit of turn two to take the advantage and lead lap two of the 35-lap affair.
With a clean race track Scott jumped out to a 2+ second advantage early on, but Gustin wasted little time in erasing that advantage as Scott began to work lapped traffic.
As Scott struggled to advance through the lapped traffic, Gustin powered to the bottom side in turn two and took the top spot down the back stretch with Scott and Terry Phillips in tow.
However, for Gustin disaster would strike seconds later as he slowed off the exit of turn four with a flat tire before the lead group could make it back to the start finish line, resulting in the nights first caution. The caution would be the end of the night for Gustin who was credited with a 16th-place finish.
Scott and Phillips lead the field back to the green but just before the same lap could be completed Phillips would go around in front of the field off the exit of turn four resulting in an eight-car pile-up.
The nights final 12 laps would go green to the end with Scott cruising to his third career MLRA win worth $7,000.
Gordy Gundecker who started sixth, finished second, while Chad Simpson completed the podium with a third-place run.
“Our car was really good, I knew my signal guy Tommy when I got to lap traffic that they were closing in on me, but heck I just couldn’t get around those guys once I got up to them so I just tried to stay there,” Scott said. “I appreciate Ryan, he ran me really clean and could have probably moved me a couple of times. Heck the luck we have had to the start of this year, it definitely feels good to finally get a win.”
The finish:
1. 1ST-Johnny Scott[2]; 2. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[6]; 3. 25-Chad Simpson[4]; 4. 04-Tad Pospisil[5]; 5. 32S-Chris Simpson[13]; 6. 14W-Dustin Walker[26]; 7. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[11]; 8. 50-Kaeden Cornell[25]; 9. 76-Blair Nothdurft[10]; 10. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[17]; 11. 15-Justin Duty[23]; 12. 11-Trevor Gundaker[20]; 13. 3-Brennon Willard[12]; 14. (DNF) 32P-Bobby Pierce[7]; 15. (DNF) 75-Terry Phillips[3]; 16. (DNF) 19R-Ryan Gustin[1]; 17. (DNF) 2S-Stormy Scott[9]; 18. (DNF) 93-Mason Oberkramer[8]; 19. (DNF) 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[14]; 20. (DNF) 18-Chase Junghans[19]; 21. (DNF) 49T-Jake Timm[24]; 22. (DNF) 1X-Aaron Marrant[15]; 23. (DNF) 11H-Jeff Herzog[21]; 24. (DNF) 20-Rodney Sanders[18]; 25. (DNF) 92-Delbert Smith[16]; 26. (DNS) 30-Todd Cooney